The Mind Above All
by Quaxxi
Summary: Two experienced thieves are learning the ins and outs of the criminal world in Inkopolis. Tobias is a confident, handsome inkling with special abilities like no other. Selena is a witty, gymnastic inkling who would shove aside anyone who stands in her way. The two of them are loving life, until strange anomalies begin to surface all around the city... supernatural anomalies.
1. Chapter 1 - The Heist

_**An inkling struggles to get to his feet. He is panting, desperately trying to recover energy as he stares at the sight before him in horror.**_

" _ **NYAAA HA HAAAAAA!" another inkling cackles. They are both on top of a tall building, helicopters surrounding the area, with blinding spotlights focusing on the two of them. The crazed inkling ominously begins approaching the other.**_

" _ **Ugh… stop this…" the first inkling begs, hardly having any energy to fight back.**_

" _ **HA HAAA! WHAT'S THE MATTER, SMARTY PANTS?! FEELING A LITTLE WOOZY?!" the insane one screams. He sprints towards him, his speed unnaturally heightened. The weak boy fails to dodge as the attacker shoves a golden blade into his abdomen.**_

" _ **AGH!" he screams, doubling over onto his knees. The maniac cackles to himself, as he quickly rips the blade from his victim. The first one groans in agony, as his opponent lowers himself down to be eye-to-eye.**_

" _ **THIS SHALL BE DELAYED NO LONGER!" the neurotic one screams in his face. He forcefully places the hilt of the golden blade into the injured inkling's hand. "IT'S TIME TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, WHO HAVE YOU BECOME?!" he demands.**_

 _ **The weak boy stares down at the blade, which is still coated in his own blood. He then glances up at the psychotic inkling, with childlike fear. He realizes he has no way of escaping from the situation. He has no choice but to obey the miscreant. He shakily stands to his feet. The vicious inkling locks eyes with him, smiling in expectation as he remains kneeling.**_

" _ **Good," he growls, giving a toothy grin. He closes his eyes, anticipating his fate. The first inkling shakily squeezes the hilt of the dagger.**_

 _ **He exhales sharply, as he raises the blade into the air.**_

* * *

It all began on a warm summer evening. The sun had just kissed the horizon, casting Inkopolis in a magical orange glow. A teenaged male inkling sat atop a skyscraper, casually enjoying the view. He tugged on the left sleeve of his Negative Longcuff Sweater to check his watch.

8:28PM

 _Two more minutes,_ he thought to himself. He leaned over to tighten the laces of his Punk Blacks, dusting off any dirt that had smudged the surface of the boot. He smiled contently with his situation, only his expression was hidden under an Annaki Mask. The building he was resting on belonged to the Splaten Island borough, a triangular metropolitan island north of the rest of Inkopolis.

"I can't believe you sometimes, not even a slight paranoia that someone will spot you dangling your legs off the roof like that," a feminine voice chastised from behind the boy. He didn't turn to look back; he knew who had approached him.

"Oh, but you know me," he insisted, not bothering to move away from the edge. His voice was full of confidence. "What's the point of doing anything if it's not a bit dangerous? That's what makes life fun," he told her, checking his watch again.

8:29PM

"Fun… wonderful. I'm glad your priorities are in line, Tobias," she mocked, suppressing her smile underneath her Sneaky Beanie. "What do you want me to say, hm? Oh, Toby, you're soooooo brave. Ha, get real. It's not bravery, it's stupidity," she jokingly scolded him.

"Well that's the beautiful thing, Selena…" he started, standing from the edge of the building to face her. He stared at her with his eyes, shimmering with the color of tourmaline. He was sporting the trendy bowl cut tentacles, coated in his violet ink, and his skin was the color of beach sand.

"…bravery and stupidity? Those are two words for the same concept," he told her, glaring at her with sarcastic sass. She shook her head, smiling under her mask.

"You're such a tool," she chuckled. He bowed as if to thank her for the insult.

"I knew you were going to say that," he told her condescendingly.

"Yeah, no shit," she replied, adjusting her Front Zip Vest. She continued to stare at him, waiting patiently. Her eyes were turquoise, complimenting her teal straight-cut tentacles. Tobias checked his watch one more time.

8:30PM

"It's go time," he told her, eagerness in his voice. Without a word, Selena turned to lead the way to a locked entrance atop the building. She inspected the door, noting that it needed a combination to be unlocked.

"Code," she told him, her voice calm and patient, as if she had gone through this process many times before. Tobias closed his eyes for a few seconds, before leaning in and entering the four-digit PIN. The door unlocked, and he held the door open for his friend. "Such a gentleman," she laughed.

"Oh, gentleman? Nah, I'll just have time to run if you get shot first," he responded nonchalantly. Selena nodded in understanding, as she ducked into the stairwell of the building. Both inklings marched down the stairs.

"Give me the rundown," she asked him, placing her hand on the door that led into a hallway.

"Seven floors, guards on each floor except for the second and fourth floor. Three guards on this floor, all armed. Target is located on the third floor," he informed.

"How many guards by the target?" she asked him, as she peered through the window of the door, trying to locate any passing guards.

"Twelve," Tobias told her, readying himself by hopping on his feet a few times to warm himself up for combat.

"Let's move," she instructed, pushing open the door. Both inklings quickly ducked into the hallway, facing opposite ends, back to back. An adult inkling did a double take when he noticed the intruders. He was on the side Selena was facing.

"Hey! What the hell are you kids doing?!" he demanded, reaching for something attached to his belt.

"Weapon," Tobias whispered to Selena. In response, the girl quickly tossed a seeker in the direction of the guard. The ink was gray in coloration.

"H-HEY!" the guard shrieked, drawing an N-ZAP as he backpedaled away from the fast-approaching seeker. He tried shooting ink at his opponents, but the seeker had pushed him out of range. The sub exploded launching gray ink all over the walls and floor, as well as the guard. "AHHHHHH!" he screamed, crumpling to the floor.

"Let's move," Selena ordered, still keeping her cool. Tobias obeyed without delay. The two of them jogged down the hall, passing by their victim who was still on the ground. Selena reached for his belt, careful not to touch any of the gray ink. She ripped off his walkie-talkie, and threw it at the wall, smashing the device.

"What did it ever do to you?" Tobias joked.

"Exist," Selena replied, deadpanned.

"Jerry? What's going on over here?" another voice called from around the corner. The inklings quickly pressed themselves up against the wall, waiting for the guard to turn the corner.

"Radio!" Tobias whispered urgently. Immediately, Selena pulled out a disruptor. She jumped out from the corner and hurled it at the unsuspecting guard, who had a walkie-talkie in hand. The disruptor smashed on the ground, unleashing an energy field around him.

"AH! WHAT IN THE-" he protested, but before he could finish, Selena darted towards him. She moved around to his back, pulling off her removable sleeve as she did so. She held the sleeve in both hands, and flung it around his face, before yanking it back across his mouth, leaving him only able to spout gibberish.

Tobias then made his move. He ran from behind the corner, sprinting at the incapacitated guard. He jumped up in the air, and dropkicked the inkling right in the chest. Selena dodged as the guard was knocked back onto the ground. She snatched the radio from his hand, once again destroying the device.

"You'll never get away with this!" the weakened inkling yelled at the two. Selena raised her eyebrow at him.

"Um… did you not just see how we took you down in mere seconds?!" she demanded. The guard hesitated, not expecting to be outwitted by the young girl. Tobias didn't wait for him to respond. He advanced forward, delivering a harsh kick to the side of the inkling's head. He was instantly knocked unconscious.

"Center stairwell just ahead," he told the girl.

"Thanks for interrupting our conversation," she replied, in regard to the fallen guard.

"Anytime," he responded, checking to make sure no more guards were approaching. Selena lead the way towards a large staircase in the center of the floor level, that spiraled down in a cylindrical formation down to the lobby, with stops at each floor.

"How many on the stairs?" she asked him, peering down.

"Just one at the base of each set of stairs, all armed," he reported. Selena nodded and quickly began advancing down the stairs; Tobias followed quickly behind. As they neared the sixth floor, a guard noticed them.

"Museum's closed, you kids need to-" he was interrupted by a gray splat bomb hurled right into his face. Selena quickly pounced on her victim, clasping her hand over the guard's mouth, to muffle his scream. She winced, as some of the gray ink on his face coated her palm.

"Fff…" she seethed, the corrosive ink causing intense pain. It felt like her hand was on fire.

Tobias quickly ran over and kicked the guard in the head, once again causing unconsciousness. He noticed Selena was preoccupied with her injured hand. He quickly reached into his pocket and brought out a small vial full of clear liquid. He poured it all over his colleague's hand, causing the ink to wash away.

"Yeah, you might want to actually avoid getting the poisonous ink all over your hands, if it wasn't obvious enough," Tobias teased. Selena shook her head, eyeing her palm. It was red and splotchy, but the clear antidote had caused the pain to cease to a mild sting.

"Dick," she retorted. "Come on, three more floors to go," she commanded, already moving down the next set of stairs. Tobias did a quick sweeping glance across the sixth floor, an open area, with about two dozen historical attractions. He noticed a large banner stretching across the far wall.

 _Splaten Island Museum of Weapons._

"What the hell are you staring at? If you don't hurry up, I'm going to kick everyone's ass without you," she threatened. Tobias turned back towards her.

"Oh, you know I wouldn't let you do that," he replied, before jogging down the steps to join her. Both of them scaled down to the fifth floor.

"FREEZE!" a guard yelled, drawing an N-ZAP and pointing it at the intruders. He was quickly joined by another, who also drew an N-ZAP.

"Don't you dare move! I'm calling the police!" the second guard threatened. He began reaching for his walkie-talkie to alert the rest of the museum's security.

"Sorry, can't let you do that," Selena replied nonchalantly. In unison, Tobias and Selena lunged to guards nearest to them.

Tobias rolled to the left to parry an incoming blast of ink from the guard's weapon. Tobias glanced at the ink as it barely missed his face, it was bronze in coloration. He noticed an opportunity to disarm the guard, he swiftly uppercut his opponent's elbow, causing him to yelp and drop his weapon. Tobias caught the weapon in his other hand, not hesitating to unleash a stream of bronze ink, coating the guard.

"SON OF A BIIIiii…" the guard protested, but his body stiffened up and he fell to his knees, conscious, but not moving a muscle.

Meanwhile, Selena tackled the guard in front of her, using her hand to shove his arm with the N-ZAP to the side. She pinned him to the ground, delivering a few punches to his face. The guard re-aimed his weapon on her, but she quickly backslapped his arm away, causing the discharge of ink to shoot completely away from her.

"Hold still, little brat!" the guard ordered, freeing his dominant arm. He swung a blow at Selena's abdomen, but the girl was keen, and blocked the attack. She pulled out a suction bomb and forcefully stuck it on the guard's chest. Before he could protest, she leaped off of him, performing a stylish back handspring to distance herself from the explosion. The sub-weapon exploded in a splash of gray ink, disabling the guard from fighting back.

"AHHHHHH!" he screamed, before falling down from the pain. Tobias sighed in irritation, as he glared at Selena.

"Hmmm… making him scream is an interesting approach to being stealthy," he mocked quickly readying himself for action.

"Save being a douche for later. How much security left on this floor?" she demanded. Tobias paused for a moment, closing his eyes.

"Just three. All of them are alert and approaching. Radio isn't a risk, but will be in a matter of seconds," he reported, his eyes reopening. On cue, three guards emerged from separate hallways.

"Hey!" one yelled, drawing his N-ZAP.

"Radio imminent!" Tobias shouted.

"Not if I can help it," Selena calmly retorted. She revealed a hidden bomb-rush special can. She broke the can, causing her tentacles to slightly glow. Without delay, she began launching seekers in every direction. Tobias quickly fled down the stairs that led to the fourth floor. The guards all panicked and tried to take cover, but the seekers pursued them, blasting them all in the toxic gray ink. Selena smirked under her mask, proud of herself. She glanced over at the bronze ink on the ground, before joining Tobias on the staircase.

"The security here uses paralysis ink. What a bunch of pussies," she scoffed, moving down the stairs ahead of her colleague.

"Stop!" Tobias loudly whispered, grabbing her arm to prevent her from reaching the fourth floor. She glared at him with confusion and annoyance.

"You said no guards on the fourth floor," she replied calmly.

"No guards. Security cameras. Four of them," he revealed.

"Camera shy?" she teased.

"Please, I'm more photogenic than you'll ever be," he replied, making sure none of the cameras could see their position. "I'm avoiding the cameras because I've heard maximum security prison these days isn't as fun as it used to be," he replied, deadpanned.

"Oh, really? I see, I see," she played along. "In the meantime, this is a perfect opportunity for me to use this," she told him, reaching into her back pocket. Tobias raised his eyebrow when he saw her pull out her smartphone.

"Calling your mommy for help?" he asked her. She didn't reply, she was too busy navigating through her phone. He watched Selena open up an application on her phone.

"My mommy could kick your ass," she told him.

"Oh, I bet," he replied.

"Can you tell where they're located?" she asked him, her strange phone application ready. Tobias closed his eyes again, concentrating.

"…I think there's just one on each corner of the room," he told her, opening his tourmaline eyes again.

"Wow. Such lazy security setup for a weapons museum," she chuckled. The inkling girl raised her phone up, pointing it at one of the cameras. She tapped a button on the application, causing a few beeps to emanate from the device. Seconds later, the camera light went from blue to yellow. Tobias furrowed his brow.

"Seriously? A phone application? Hacking is too damn easy these days," he commented, shaking his head.

"Or this museum just has shitty security. My bets are on that," she told him, taking aim at the second security camera. Tobias waited patiently as she disabled all four cameras.

"Well that was easy," he chuckled. Selena slipped her phone back into her pocket, and descended down the remaining stairs to the fourth floor.

"They're in standby mode, which means they're 'frozen' for all intents and purposes, we don't have much time before someone notices," she told him. Tobias nodded, gesturing down at the next set of stairs.

"Target is on the next floor. All three of the guards are patrolling in hallways, now's our chance," he reported. Selena smirked, turning towards the stairs.

"Like taking candy from a hatchling," she mused. The two inklings quickly moved down the stairs. Tobias peered up the nearest sign, indicating what sector of the museum they were in.

 _Weapons of the Human Generation._

"This is the place," he confirmed, looking around. They both began quickly looking through all the items on display. Various weapons were shown, all of them historically utilized by the human species before they were extinct.

"Target acquired," Selena beamed, staring at one weapon in particular. Tobias looked over, walking towards her to get a better look.

"Holy shit…" he commented, taking in the sight of the intimidating device before him. They were staring at an RG-6 Grenade Launcher, locked in a giant glass display case.

"Code," she told him, gesturing at the lock that secured the weapon inside the case. Tobias quickly shut his eyes, right before keying in the PIN. The case opened, allowing him to steal the weapon from its stand, as well as a few grenades that were on display.

"Target obtained," Tobias reported, attaching the grenade launcher to a lanyard strap. He stylishly swung it onto his back. Before Selena could give him a witty response, they were interrupted by an unfamiliar voice.

"Not another move, delinquents," the voice threatened. The two of them turned towards the source of the voice, to see an older and tougher guard. His nametag labeled him as the Head of Security. He was holding them at gunpoint, with a Rapid Blaster. Selena narrowed her eyes.

"Oh no, you caught us. Whatever will we do," she said monotonously. The man seemed surprised by the girl's attitude. She glared over at Tobias. "A warning would have been nice," she muttered. He rolled his eyes.

"I was preoccupied with the target," he retorted.

"Shut up!" the man ordered, bothered by their apathy and lack of fear. "You kids are going to be in a lot of trouble. This is a major felony!" he yelled, his intimidation skills failing to provoke a reaction.

"We know," Tobias replied confidently. The inkling noticed the grenade launcher on his back.

"What the… what do you plan on doing with that weapon?!" he shouted.

"Whatever the hell we want with it," Selena retorted.

"YOU better shut your damn mouth, final warning," he thundered. He fixated his blaster right at Selena's face. The girl didn't even bat an eye.

"Tobias, hurry the hell up," she said.

Immediately, the boy shut his eyes, in deep concentration. Before he could yell at Selena for speaking again, the guard turned his attention to Tobias. He was shocked when a faint purple aura surrounded the boy. After a few seconds, the violet inkling outstretched his arms in the direction of the guard, the aura moving from his fingertips towards him.

"W-WHAT ARE YOU D-DOING?!" he screamed. Before he could shoot Tobias, the aura reached his forehead. Instantly, the guard's facial expression went emotionless, and his eyes glazed over. The guard raised his weapon to the side of his own head. Selena watched happily as the guard shot himself with bronze ink, coating his entire body. Tobias lowered his hands, exhaling sharply. He was slightly out of breath. The guard crumpled to the floor, unconscious.

"Wonderful. Let's go," Selena insisted. She turned towards the stairs to leave, but froze when she saw a terrified-looking guard, with a cell phone in his hands.

"Y-Yes th-there's been a b-break in at the M-Museum of W-Weapons," the guard stammered. Selena immediately sent a seeker in his direction, causing him to drop the phone and run away screaming.

"SHIT! Now the IPD are on our backs!" she complained, her calm demeanor slightly breaking. She turned to Tobias, who was clenching his teeth. "Let's get the hell out of here," she muttered.

"Awww… I wanted to stick around to enjoy a full Museum experience," he told her, but didn't waste any more time continuing the conversation. He quickly sprinted towards the fire escape exit, Selena running close behind. He busted through the door, causing an alarm to blare throughout the entire Museum.

"Mission Accomplished," Selena said boldly, happily glancing over at Tobias. The boy nodded once, before turning towards the railing of the fire escape ladder.

In unison, Tobias and Selena leaped off into the air.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

 **Welcome to my brand-new story! This has been in the works for a while now, so I hope you enjoy how it turned out. Drop a review to let me know what you think so far.**

 **PS: This takes place in the same universe as "The Dawn of Igneous", my first story. Reading is not necessary, but recommended if you want the complete experience. But don't fret! "The Mind Above All" is its own story that can stand on its own! Stay tuned to see how things unfold! Thanks for Reading!**


	2. Chapter 2 - The Auction

Tobias slowly ran his fingers across his tentacles, adjusting them to his liking while gazing into a bathroom mirror. The space was dank and unclean, grime and mildew lined the floor and around the faucets of each sink. One of the stalls was occupied by an older gentleman, who was whispering nonsense to himself. The stench was close to unbearable, and beyond that for those of higher phobias of unsanitariness. Despite the conditions, the violet inkling didn't seem bothered. He dusted off his sweater, and proceeded to continue gazing into the mirror. After a moment, he reached for his Anaaki mask, and pulled it off of his face. He studied the details of his own face as if it were an unclassified specimen. He admired the sight.

The boy's eye twitched, as he sensed an incoming presence. He pulled his mask back over his face, and on cue, a burly inkling entered the bathroom. He hardly acknowledged Tobias, and stumbled over to the urinal. After one final glance into the mirror, Tobias decided to take his leave, but not before checking his watch.

10:41PM

Stepping out, he found himself bathed in a soft glow of neon lights. The smell of sweat and liquor penetrated his nostrils, as he paced through the establishment. He gave greetings to a few customers hunched over at the bar, which was returned by drunken replies of recognition and camaraderie. He signaled to the bartender, a gruff but friendly-looking octoling. His tattoos and body indexed that he was likely a war veteran. With ease, anyone would be able to classify the man as the pub's owner.

"'iss a great evenin', Smalls!" he spoke to the boy. His voice was not one that Tobias would consider pleasing to listen to, but he smirked anyway, the expression hidden beneath his mask. The octoling's friendliness made up for his brassy voice.

"Indeed," he replied nonchalantly.

"'specially now that you're 'ere. Got a good show fer me t'night?" he asked with weary eagerness. The younger nodded proudly.

"Quite the show. You'll enjoy it, Roff," Tobias assured. He found a vacant seat resting beneath the bar, and promptly occupied it. He felt himself relax a bit, his ankles needing rest after that night's heist.

"Hehgh!" Roff laughed – a startling sound. "I'll bet. What'll it be?" he asked his humble patron, already pulling out a glass.

"My usual," Tobias replied elegantly. Roff chuckled expectantly, and immediately got to work. Tobias' eyes glazed over as he drifted off into his own thoughts, and only his own. He resisted his temptations to venture into the minds of others. It mostly served him no benefit outside of combat. Still, it didn't stop him from exploring the thoughts and memories of those around him from time to time. He knew that Roff often thought about gardening, with brief intermittent glimpses of a horrifying, brutal war. Exploring his mind would be redundant. In fact, most people he came across had a pretty consistent thought process, leaving Tobias to believe that people aren't as complicated as they'd like to think they are.

"There it be!" Roff blurted, breaking Tobias out of his pondering state. The octoling pushed a glass full of dark liquid across the table, sliding to a stop right nearby Tobias' left hand. Roff seemed quite proud of his small approximation in physics. "On the house 'f course!" he exclaimed, with a mighty breath, smelling of nicotine. Tobias nodded his head once with gratitude.

"Thanks, ya old coot," he chuckled, before sipping at his beverage. He felt a burn in his throat as he swallowed the liquor, leaving a strong but tangy flavor dancing across his tongue. Tobias nodded once again in satisfaction. Roff gave him a pleased smile, before tending to other customers.

The violet inkling relaxed as he continued to sip at his drink and explore his thoughts. He glanced around at his surroundings. The bar was populated heavily, the dozens of creatures emanating a noisy mixture of speaking, laughing, and occasional yelling. A generic rock tune played throughout the premises, which Roff hummed along to as he prepared a cocktail for a nearby jellyfish. The lighting was warm and romantic, with neon signs casting faint glows of various bright colors. Unlike the conditions of the bathroom, the pub itself was a pleasant environment, and had a homelike quality, at least in the eyes of Tobias. He glanced across the bar at a sign carrying the name of Roff's establishment.

 _The Slackin' Splaten Pub._

The boy took another sip of his drink and gulped the potent liquid. A flash of amusement gleamed in his tourmaline eyes. While he never unveiled this to Roff, he always hated the name. He found it corny, though, despite this, he couldn't think of anything more fitting for the old place. After gulping down the last of his spirits, he glanced at the clock resting on the countertop.

10:56PM

"It's about that time," Tobias murmured to himself, before glancing at the friendly owner. "Thanks again, Roff. We'll be setting up now," he called out to him. The octoling looked over from the other side of the bar and grinned.

"Time already? I'll be damned! I'll be over there in justa minute, my boy. Good luck with ya! Oh, and say my hellos to Selena, would ya?" he proposed. Tobias nodded, before turning away from the bar and making his way around various tables. The majority of the customers recognized the violet inkling, giving him various affirmations, greetings, and cheers.

"Lookin good, Smalls!"

"I'm gonna win tonight's auction!"

"Well if it isn't the masked man!"

Tobias felt satisfied to be revered in this way, and gave gratuitous gestures to each of his fans as he walked by. He eventually arrived at a table towards the center of the pub, and stopped to take in the familiar sight before him. A male inkling with considerably pronounced muscles was struggling as he pushed against his opponent in an arm wrestle. Across from him, was Selena, also strained, but looking much less perturbed than her opponent. A small crowd had gathered to watch them, yelling taunts and cheers at the both of them. The violet inkling broke the circle of pub-goers and stepped towards them.

"Roff says hi," Tobias said calmly to Selena, hardly interested in her competition. He wasn't granted an acknowledgment from the girl, which didn't surprise him, as he wasn't expecting one. "Need a hand?" he asked monotonously, with an amused gleam in his eyes. She didn't turn to address him, her eyes locked on the muscular inkling.

"I think he might," Selena seethed, gesturing with her head to her opponent. The man looked at her incredulously, gritting his teeth as he tried to push back with all of his might. Selena forced a disinterested mien, and went as far as to allow him to push her arm significantly towards his winning mark. She glanced at his face, noticing his desperation, as he let his guard down. Her eyes glinted, as she quickly pushed his arm back up, and then down, making contact with the table on her winning mark. The crowd burst into a series of cheers and screams.

"Damn it, Stone!" the man yelped, as they both loosened up. Selena chuckled as she unlaced her hand from his, before using her finger to wipe a bead of sweat from her forehead. The man pouted, glancing around shamefully at his peers who were teasing him. He folded his arms and pouted.

"You tried, Sid," she teased, glancing at her right hand. She cracked her joints and stretched, watching smugly as Sid reluctantly placed 3,000G on the table, sliding it over to Selena. She collected her earnings, and briefly glanced at Tobias.

"He almost had you," The boy commented. Selena rolled her eyes and readdressed the disheartened inkling before her.

"You hear that? Smalls thinks you could have beaten me. Maybe next time, buddy," she said genuinely, with a pinch of condescension. Sid glared at her, and Selena remembered that he was a sore loser.

"I didn't want to try my 100%! I was going easy on you, and if I gave it my all, I could easily have won!" he protested, with a disgruntled gaze towards Selena.

"He doesn't actually believe that," Tobias blurted promptly. Sid threw his hands up in the air in aggravation, glaring daggers at the now chuckling inkling boy.

"STOP READING MY MIND!" Sid wailed. Both Tobias and Selena couldn't stop from bursting out in laughter at the idea of a fully-grown man being bullied by two teenagers. Even Sid couldn't stifle a grin, amused by his own temper-tantrum. "Dawww… fine! You beat me fair and square, Selena…" he admitted, leaning back in his chair.

"No hard feelings," she said to Sid, before turning his head to the crowd. "And think twice before giving Sid shit for losing. I could easily beat any and all of you," she threatened, causing everyone to shuffle nervously. Not another jeer was directed at Sid.

"That's mighty kind…" he mumbled, looking at her gratefully. He then raised his eyes to Tobias.

"Smalls! Don't be a stranger! Where've you been?" he asked the boy.

"Busy," Tobias replied with a shrug. "Selena and I are always busy, you know that," he uttered. Sid frowned, but Tobias cleared his throat and spoke again. "But don't fret. We've brought something special today," he revealed, with an eager glance towards Selena. The girl's eyes twinkled, as she suddenly had an idea.

"Before we get to that…" she started. "What about you, Toby? Think you can take me in an arm-wrestling match?" she challenged. The audience cheered and whooped at her remark.

"Aha," he laughed. "I think we should spare everyone here the embarrassment of witnessing your loss," he replied nonchalantly. The crowd made a collective sound of disappointment. Selena raised an eyebrow.

"Big talk, lefty," she taunted, pointing at her non-dominant hand. "I'd even use my left hand. Don't worry, I won't rub it in when you lose," she said with a faux innocent smile. Sid grinned at the idea.

"Let's see this!" he egged on, raising his eyes to Tobias. Mildly annoyed, he checked his watch.

11:01PM

"While I'd love to add to my accolades, I believe Selena and I are due for our main event," he urged. The surrounding crowd pleaded Tobias to challenge his colleague. A few even had the gall to throw insults and jeers at him. "Maybe next time," he entertained, exchanging glances with Selena. Another mixed reaction from the crowd.

"A cowardly excuse, but he's right," she added. She noticed the time, and rose from her seat. "It's auction time," she said, feeling as if she spoke words of royalty. The surrounding pub-goers seemed to forget all of their prior disappointment, as they all collectively whooped and grinned.

Selena joined Tobias' side, and they turned towards a distant clearing at the opposite wall of the bar. Everyone parted for the two as they marched up towards the clearing; a microphone was waiting for them. The original intent of the clearing was for bands to come and play music, though Roff insisted that Tobias and Selena were the only ones to actually utilize the equipment, disheartened that he never got any responses from Squid Squad or Hightide Era, despite sending multiple invitations. Selena and Tobias exchanged proud glances before Tobias cleared his throat, and leaned into the microphone. It smelled like beer.

"Good eveniiiiiing Splaten Island!" Tobias announced, playing to the crowd. Everyone turned their attention on the two of them, and the pub regulars cheered and raised their beverages with respect towards the teens. He noticed Roff in the back of the crowd, giving him a wholesome wave.

Tobias continued. "My name is Tobias Smalls, and this is my esteemed friend and colleague, Selena Stone. And as you should know, we are the greatest thieves in all of Inkopolis!" The crowd burst into incoherent screeching and eager cheering. The violet inkling gazed down upon all the faces, shaking his head playfully.

"Look at how wasted you all are. How shameful," he said into the microphone. The audience laughed, unabashed by the taunt.

"But we appreciate your enthusiasm!" Selena interjected, stepping towards the microphone. That's the kind of energy that leads to victory!" she exclaimed with valor. Once again, the crowd went wild. Selena naturally had a stronger sense of showmanship than her colleague, and often took the helm during their presentations.

"Corny," Tobias whispered to Selena, off-mic. She rolled her eyes, and returned her attention forward.

"Alright alright, settle down now, freaks," she commanded, though her insult sounded playful and affectionate. "Allow us to present tonight's prize…" she said with an added sense of drama, and the ravenous crowd immediately hushed to a gruff whisper.

Roff broke through the crowd, politely grunting "Pard'n me!" nearly a dozen times, as he made his way towards Tobias and Selena. The former reached his arms out and collected a large hard-shell case from the burly octoling, before leaning to the floor and placing it down. Roff quickly vanished back into the crowd to watch the young inklings in awe. Tobias rose from the ground. He blinked, sensing a collective desire emanating throughout the minds of the audience before him.

"Since you all seem to want it so bad…" he started. Selena frowned, nobody aware of this fact but her; the expression concealed behind her mask. Tobias concentrated and outstretched his arm over the closed case. The box vibrated slightly, before it violently swung open, the lid stopping at an angle, concealing the contents from the audience.

"Wow so cool, Tobias!" Selena exclaimed with obvious sarcasm. The crowd laughed, only half impressed by his feat. The violet inkling steadied himself.

"Relax. That was simply my warm-up. I'll do you one better," he assured. He used his foot to close the case again; the audience was looking at him incredulously. Tobias took a breath, and directed all his concentration on the hard-shell container. This time, he outstretched both of his hands over the case, palms open, and shaky. A light purple aura surrounded his hands, and the pub collectively gasped at the sight. Suddenly, the case began to levitate slowly upwards. Everyone, including Tobias, locked their eyes on the floating container.

"I call smoke and mirrors," Selena joked, the only one who seemed unimpressed with the sight. The audience was too busy gawking to acknowledge her remark, too busy watching Tobias' every move. The case began to shake vigorously. Tobias violently clenched his open palms into fists with a grunt, and the container exploded into hundreds of small pieces. In a flash, he raised his left arm upward, and caught the RG-6 Grenade Launcher in a theatrical pose.

"WHOAAAAAA!" the crowd screamed, breaking into applause. Even Selena seemed to be mildly impressed with the feat. Tobias smirked, basking in the praise.

"Ladies and Gentlemen…" he started, slightly out of breath. "I present to you, the prize of the hour!" he called out with his best announcer voice, as he gestured to the stolen Grenade Launcher. As expected, the pub lit up with grotesque excitement.

"We bring this to you from The Splaten Island Museum of Weapons," Selena reported into the microphone, as she carefully took the weapon from Tobias. "Taking this was a walk in the park… you'd think a weapons museum would actually be able to stop two measly thieves. The irony!" she ranted. The crowd roared with a mix of laughs, cheers, and denouncements of the museum.

"Well, one measly thief, and one prodigious bandit possessing the power of legends," Tobias corrected, giving a mischievous glare at his partner in crime.

"I have the power of legends?" Selena asked with sarcastic incredulity, causing the audience to react with surprised laughter in awe of her wit. Tobias grinned underneath his mask. Selena saw the smile in his eyes, and chuckled, before returning her attention to the audience.

"Cast-outs of Inkopolis! Broken people of this world! Allow us to strengthen the forces of chaos itself!" she exclaimed histrionically, raising the weapon up above her head.

Tobias blinked. As Selena spoke the word "chaos," he felt a shiver down his spine. He felt that somebody was standing behind him, but couldn't detect the presence of one's thought. He risked a glance over his shoulder, to see that nobody was behind them. _I could have sworn…_ he thought to himself. He quickly returned his attention to the crowd. His shift seemed to go unnoticed by everyone present as they were all enthralled by the weapon. He cleared his throat.

"Yes…" he faltered, as he tried to regain his attention on the situation. Selena darted her eyes at him with a puzzled look. She noticed his disorientation and decided to take the reins.

"The time has come. May the auction commence! And the opening bid is…" Selena started, intentionally hesitating in order to add suspense. "For a state of the art grenade launcher… 30,000G!" she revealed. Nobody complained about the price. In fact, the audience seemed just as enthusiastic.

"You all know the rules of the auction, yes?" Tobias asked the crowd. The vast majority gave an affirmative yell, though a select few showed faces of confusion. Tobias decided to leave the minority in the dust.

"That's what I like to hear. Now…" Tobias spoke softly, drawing the crowd to near-silence. Roff used a remote control to turn off the rock music playing through the pub, casting the venue in a tense quietness. Everyone held their breath.

"BEGIN!" Tobias barked.

"Thirty-two thousand!" a spry jellyfish immediately called.

"Thirty-four thousand!" an elderly crawfish croaked.

"Thirty-eight thousand," spoke a young inkling. Hushed protests grumbled throughout the audience. Selena moved her eyes to the boy. She furrowed her brow, as he was an unfamiliar face. She was also surprised to see that he looked similar in age to her and Tobias. He was wearing a Custom Painted F-3, with Pilot Goggles resting atop his head. He had a mysterious gleam in his eye.

While there were technically no rules prohibiting minors from entering the pub, it wasn't an often occurrence. Tobias and Selena were the only exceptions to this rule, simply due to how loved they were by the regulars. Roff even allowed them to order drinks. Selena realized everyone was staring up at her expectantly, and snapped out of her daze.

"Thirty-eight thousand. Do I hear a thirty-nine?" Selena asked, prodding the participants.

"Thirty-nine thousand!" the crawfish bid.

"Forty-one thousand!" the jellyfish barked, though with obvious reluctance.

"Forty-three thousand!" A familiar voice yelled. Tobias scanned the crowd, and to his surprise, his eyes fell upon Sid. He gave a cheeky wave.

"Our current lead is Sid with forty-three thousand. Do I hear a forty-four thousand?" Tobias asked.

"Fifty thousand," called the inkling donned in F-3 jacket. This time, the crowd loudly complained. Even Selena raised her eyebrows. Tobias faltered, narrowing his eyes at the young boy. Who was this kid? His heartbeat increased as he began to explore the boy's thoughts.

"I hear fifty thousand. Do I hear fifty-one?" Selena asked, not taking her eyes off the owner of the leading bid. He stared back up at them with calm confidence. At that moment, she noticed an inkling girl standing next to him, dressed in near-identical garb, the only difference being her F-3 jacket being white in coloration. The girl was strikingly beautiful, a demerit within Splaten Island. Good looks were usually preyed upon in the crime-ridden district. Both she and her mysterious friend stared up right into Selena's eyes. By their body language, they were clearly familiar with each other.

"Going once…" Tobias announced, staring intensely at the two young inklings.

"…Fifty-one thousand!" the crawfish called out, a look of regret and pain on his weary old face.

"Sixty thousand," bid the mysterious inkling, his confidence unflinching. The crowd erupted with anger and foul language.

"What the hell…?" Selena said under her breath, off-mic. Tobias remained silent. He had peered into the thoughts of both teens, and was quite displeased with what he saw. "Our current leading bid is from the young gentleman with sixty thousand…" Selena reported, still gazing upon the boy. The girl beside him beamed, mirroring the confidence of her friend. Tobias felt threatened, but kept his composure for the crowd.

"Going once!" Selena muttered, slightly hoping for another bid.

"Going twice…" Tobias muttered. Not a single reaction from the audience.

"Sold! To the young gentleman in the Flight Jacket! Congratulations!" Selena announced, gesturing towards the boy. The crowd collectively groaned, though some of the less sober still cheered, raising their drinks to toast the victory. Many threw out exasperated remarks.

"What kind of kid has that kind of money?!"

"Who the hell are they? I've never seen them before in my damn life!"

"I demand a recount!"

Tobias and Selena exchanged conflicted glances. They weren't sure what to do. The violet inkling glanced at the mysterious winners. They had finally stopped staring at him, now waving and thanking various pub-goers who gave them congratulations. Any negative protest was simply ignored by them. Selena noticed the tension, and quickly diffused the audience.

"Thank you all for participating tonight! To all of our esteemed bidders, fear not! For there is always our next auction!" she announced, captivating the crowd once again. "Thank you all, and goodnight!"

Tobias gave a small nod of acknowledgment to the audience, before dropping the corny façade. He was too focused on the young inklings before him. To his surprise, they actually turned away, dispersing with the rest of the crowd. Tobias exhaled sharply as he stepped off the platform, marching towards them. Selena closely followed.

"Hey!" the teal inkling spoke, signaling to the mysterious inklings. They turned to face her and Tobias, and both gave a friendly smile. "Congratulations…" she started, but faltered. She didn't know what to say, the situation was too confusing. Tobias didn't say a word, though he was staring daggers at the both of them. There was a moment of awkward silence.

"What a stunning performance!" the boy finally spoke, his voice rich but raspy. Tobias took the moment to size him up fully. He had hot pink tentacles, hanging down the sides of his head. An untraditional look for an inkling boy. His eyes shimmered like garnet, full of ambition and excitement. He opened his mouth to speak. "I was quite impressed, and it was an honor to participate," he added.

"I'm glad," Selena replied, hiding the uneasiness in her voice. "Come to think of it though, I can't say I've seen your face before. We usually don't get too many newcomers here," she told him, eying the both of them suspiciously.

"Ah, well we're passing by just this once," the girl spoke. Selena and Tobias both twitched. It had been the first time they heard her speak. Her voice was melodic and captivating. "We actually came here just to see the two of you!" she beamed, outstretching her hands.

Tobias and Selena once again exchanged alarmed glances. The girl stared at them expectantly. Her eyes sparkled like glittery topaz. Her long tentacles were a bluish-white, like freshly fallen snow.

"Is that so…?" Selena asked, growing impatient. Tobias still hadn't spoken a word since the auction.

"Who are you?" he demanded, his voice icy. Though the question was superficial, as he had already revealed to himself their identities. It was another of many advantages possessed by Tobias. He could know extensively about a person before they even spoke a word to him.

"Ah, pardon me!" the boy started. "I suppose we were getting ahead of ourselves…" he admitted. Tobias wasn't amused. The mysterious inkling inhaled.

"My name is Lieutenant Galiano, and this here, is my partner, Lady Annabeth," he introduced himself. "We're from an organization known as SAIL," he added. He gave Tobias a sly smile.

"But please…" he insisted. "Just call me Niko."


	3. Chapter 3 - The Recruitment

"So… let me get this straight…" Selena said slowly, with a puzzled mien.

She and Tobias had ushered Niko and Lady Annabeth to the roof of The Slackin' Splaten Pub – a group of minors would likely draw attention from the local pub-goers. Before they left, Tobias had given the Grenade Launcher to Roff to hold on to, the burly octoling swearing on his life to protect the weapon. The late-night air was brisk, and a light breeze blew between the four inklings. Tobias continued to glare at the Lieutenant, having a predisposed disdain for all forms of authority. What angered him more was that Niko appeared to be no older than he and Selena.

"You think we're ghosts?" Selena asked innocently. Niko made a face and chuckled, both amused and frustrated by her comment.

"What in the… okay, no," he said, the amusement winning over as he giggled. Annabeth laughed as well. Niko sighed, before taking another breath. "Okay, let me start from the beginning…" he uttered.

"Be quick about it, please," Tobias muttered.

"Right, right. Alright. So… SAIL. It stands for 'Security of Ancient Inkarnate Legends'. As I explained before, it's our job to hunt down dangerous individuals who… possess the power of ancients…" Niko told them, slightly embarrassed as he spoke.

"Okay, time out… what?!" Selena interrupted.

"I know, I know! It sounds ridiculous, but just let me finish!" Niko pleaded.

"Fine…" Selena mumbled, crossing her arms to mirror Tobias.

"So inkarnates… that's what they're called. They're not ghosts, as you called them. But spirits. Spirits of ancient beings who possess various forms of power. And when I say power, I mean POWER! Dangerous stuff. And that's why SAIL exists. It's our job to find inkarnate hosts and ensure that they won't endanger innocent people," Niko explained. "I should note, while the inkarnates themselves are vague beings of pure energy, they have lost the ability to materialize into a physical form. Thus, they must take on a host, which can be any form of intelligent life," he finished.

"Um… alright…" Selena replied, after a long pause. "So, could you remind us what this has to do with Tobias and me?" she requested.

"Well… I figured it was obvious!" Niko said with a laugh. He turned his attention to Tobias, and pointed his finger at the boy. "Tobias… a criminal bandit from Splaten Island, Inkopolis. Formally known… as Tobias Smalls, the host of Animus, the inkarnate of psionics and energy!" he exclaimed nonchalantly, as if the comment carried no weight at all. Then there was silence. The four of them all eyed each other cautiously, waiting for a reaction. Then, Annabeth broke the silence.

"But we should clarify…" she started, with her eyes locked on Tobias. "We're not here to take you away, detain you, or anything of the sort. In fact…" she cut herself off, a smirk appearing on her face. Niko took hold of the reins.

"We've come here to recruit you, Tobias," he finished. Selena raised her eyebrows, but Tobias maintained an apathetic mien. Annabeth opened her mouth to speak again.

"You're the host of Animus, and based on what we've learned from ancient history, Animus is one of the most powerful inkarnates in all of existence. The abilities you possess? The possibilities are virtually endless, and that power has the potential to either permanently protect Inkopolis…" she said, purposely hesitating.

"…Or completely destroy it," Niko finished. "But we have faith that you'll partake in our venture," he added. He paused, waiting for Tobias or Selena to reply, but continued after a lack of response. "So… what do you say? Would you be willing to lend your abilities to Team SAIL, in order to protect the future generations of Inkopolis?" he asked.

Selena turned to face Tobias. She studied his expression carefully. They both exchanged a glance, and silently communicated something. Tobias then returned his focus on Niko.

"No," he replied.

"No?" Niko asked, though with not too much despondency. "Would you mind explaining?" he asked. Tobias stifled his growing impatience and frustration.

"You're looking for… Animus, yes? An inkarnate host. Telepathy or whatever, yes?" Tobias prodded.

"Well, yeah!" Niko replied.

"Well you've got the wrong guy," Tobias said flatly. "I don't know any Animus, and I don't know what kind of powers you're talking about. There's not much that separates me from most people, except for the fact that I'm a skilled thief. None of that… psionic energy or whatever the hell you were talking about," he replied coldly, not breaking his gaze from the eager Lieutenant.

"Hmmm…" Niko mused, clearly not convinced. "Well here's the thing Toby…" he started. Tobias loathed him for using the playful sobriquet. "I would have believed that, if it weren't for the stunt you pulled on that stage with the briefcase," he said slyly. Tobias blinked, but remained silent. Selena resisted the urge to smack her own forehead.

"It was quite impressive," Annabeth commented. "You shattered the thing into a bazillion pieces. Pretty supernatural for some ordinary thief," she teased.

"I'm not ordinary!" Tobias snapped, losing his cool. "You're wrong. What you saw in there was a performance. Showmanship. Smoke and mirrors, if you will. We're performers, not magical telekinesis fairies. I already told you. You've got the wrong guy," he muttered, scowling at the both of them.

Annabeth looked as if she wanted to protest, but she faltered, a puzzled mien appearing on her face. Both she and Niko seemed stumped, and stood there awkwardly.

"I think we're done here," Tobias uttered. "Come on Selena," he urged, as he turned around.

"Wait…" Niko demanded weakly. The two of them ignored his command, and started walking towards the stairs to return to the pub. _I guess you leave me no choice…_ Niko thought to himself. Tobias twitched. He heard Niko's thought. But before he could react…

 _SLAM!_

"AUGH!" Tobias grunted as Niko tackled him to the ground. Selena reached for a seeker, but was a second too late as Annabeth pulled her arms behind her back and pinned the teal inkling against the stairwell door.

"What the hell?!" Selena protested, not used to being bested in combat. Annabeth struggled to keep the girl against the wall, but she managed. Tobias tried to shove Niko away, but the pink inkling locked his opponent's arms in a twist, and dragged him over to the edge of the rooftop.

"YOU'RE INSANE! GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME YOU SON OF A-" Tobias screamed dozens of curse words at Niko, as he dangled half of his body off the edge of the building. Niko just stared down at him, amused.

"Hey, I really didn't want to do this, Smalls. You seem like a nice guy," he said in a calm tone, his collected demeanor perpendicular to Tobias' tantrum.

And then Niko let go. Tobias was now in freefall, quickly approaching the ground. For a moment, Niko felt a pang of panic seeing the boy still falling to his death, but in an instant, Tobias shot up, rising to a stop a few feet above the edge of the rooftop. At first, Niko couldn't see what bounced him back up, but then he realized…

Tobias was levitating.

"You're going to regret introducing yourself to me," he thundered. He was glowing with a strong purple aura, his eyes glowing like tourmaline bulbs. Before Niko could reply, Tobias shot a glowing ball of energy towards him. Niko barely jumped out of the way, dodge rolling to the side. He watched as the ball of energy crashed into the roof, pulverizing the stone and creating a small crater.

"You ARE Animus! Liar!" Niko shouted, smirking at the enraged inkling. Tobias lunged towards the roof, landing firmly on his legs. He slowly walked towards Niko, still glowing, his eyes like tourmaline bulbs.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you right now," Tobias threatened. Selena and Annabeth watched carefully, the former still bored, the latter with a concerned mien.

"Tobias! Please! Think about how much good you can do with your abilities! I'm sorry for pushing you, but you left me no choice," Niko explained. Tobias wasted no time. He advanced towards Niko at an alarming speed. The Lieutenant's training wasn't enough to counter the inkarnate host's attack, and he yelped as Tobias grabbed his throat.

"I don't give a FUCK about good," he spat. Fear was evident in Niko's eyes. He couldn't speak, and began grasping at his throat, but to no avail. Annabeth called out Niko's name. She tripped Selena over her own foot, shoving her to the ground, and ran to aid her partner. Tobias quickly reached his free hand out towards the female foe, and she instantly froze. She struggled to move, but could barely manage a twitch. He was holding her in place. Selena rose up and pinned Annabeth to the ground, pushing her face into the rough concrete of the roof.

"There! How do you like it?!" Selena hissed. Tobias released his telekinetic hold on Annabeth, but continued to choke Niko. The boy's lips began to turn blue from lack of oxygen.

"I'll say it again, fuckface," Tobias growled at him. "Give me ONE reason… why I shouldn't kill you RIGHT NOW!" he screamed. He intentionally loosened his grip on Niko's throat, just enough to allow him to speak. The pink inkling gasped for air, before attempting to choke out a few words:

"I know who destroyed your memories," he sputtered hoarsely. Tobias flinched, and lost his grip on Niko. The boy crumpled to the floor, grasping his sore neck and inhaling deeply, coughing intermittently.

"What…?" Tobias whispered, both shocked and confused. Selena gave him a concerned glance, but he didn't return her gaze. He stared at Niko in bewilderment. "How do you…" he started, but his expression hardened. "No. You're lying. I just scoured your mind. You know nothing of that!" he screamed. He prepared to kill Niko with purple energy, but Annabeth managed to outstretch her hand.

"Wait! He's not lying!" she called out to Tobias. He glared daggers at her.

"You don't know either. Explain!" he commanded.

"Niko and I don't specifically know who corrupted your memory, but we work under someone who does. Our commander… he knows the origin of your amnesia… and he wants to meet you," she explained desperately. Selena glanced up at Tobias with a furrowed brow, her eyes full of surprise.

"Is this legit?" she asked him.

"We're both being completely honest…" Niko murmured weakly. "We weren't supposed to fight… we wanted your help, and our commander is willing to help you in return…" he added, meeting eyes with Tobias. The boy continued to stand there, though his purple aura began to dim.

"Are they lying, Tobias?!" Selena demanded. Tobias continued to stare upon Niko.

And then it happened. He felt himself traveling deeply through the mind of his opponent. The Lieutenant's memories were mostly pleasant. He saw a loving, caring mother. A brother. A sister. He saw visions of Annabeth, smiling romantically. He saw a large corridor, cast in beautiful green marble. He saw an army, full of young teens cloaked in various green garments. He saw Niko afraid, but forcing a tough mien as he trained alone, doing various exercises in a green gymnasium. He realized he was staring upon an extremely determined individual, and he confirmed what he was reluctant to believe. Tobias returned his focus on the external world, looking away from all of them.

"They're telling the truth…" he whispered, slowly turning towards Selena to meet their gaze. "They're telling the truth," he repeated, with a stronger voice. Niko exhaled with relief.

"Yes… we are…" he said, slowly returning to his feet. "Based on what I know about Animus, you already know pretty much everything about us, and why we're here. No tricks," he explained. Selena cautiously removed herself from Annabeth, and the latter promptly removed herself with the ground, dusting herself off. There was a small scrape on her cheek.

"Like my colleague said," she started, touching her cheek and examining the small amount of blood upon her fingers. "We never planned on fighting. We were expecting a little resistance, but… you certainly caught us off guard," she admitted.

"Well… ditto," Selena replied, exchanging another quick glance with Tobias. She noticed the wound upon Annabeth's cheek. "Sorry about your face there," she added, slightly feeling guilty.

"Shit happens," Annabeth replied, with a smirk. "I've been through a lot worse. It's him I'm worried about," she added, pointing towards Niko. The Lieutenant blushed and scowled at his fellow agent.

"Me?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes, you. Tobias choked you pretty bad, are you sure you're going to be alright?" she asked him. She approached him and tried to examine his bruised throat, but he leaned away.

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" he protested. He glanced over at Tobias, who didn't seem very guilty for harming him.

"I'd like to meet this commander individual," the violet inkling requested.

"Commander Gamma," Annabeth revealed. "He's back in our headquarters. We have authorization to escort both you and Selena to our Splaten Island base, where you'll be able to meet with him," she explained. A snicker escaped Selena, and all eyes moved to her.

"Did you just say… Commander Gamma?" she said with a giggle. Niko and Annabeth furrowed their brow in unison, while Tobias successfully stifled a grin.

"What's so funny?" Niko asked politely.

"Commander Gamma!" she echoed, now laughing loudly. "That sounds like a name for some lame space alien action figure!" she beamed. "That's seriously your guys' boss?" she asked while cackling. Niko and Annabeth exchanged puzzled looks, not quite understanding of Selena's humor. They looked towards Tobias for support, but found that he was chuckling as well.

"What a bunch of clowns," he said with a shake of his head. But his amusement faded, and he refocused his attention on the two SAIL agents. "Whatever. I need to meet with him, regardless of how ridiculous his name is," he insisted. Niko and Annabeth seemed uncomfortable.

"Well… we'll see how willing you are to tease him when you meet him. He's a bit…" Niko trailed off, unsure of how to describe Commander Gamma.

"Vehement," Annabeth decided, finishing Niko's thought. "But oddly… tranquil at the same time… you'll have to meet him for yourself," she concluded.

"I'm sure big scary Commander Gamma won't be anything we're not used to. Tobias and I deal with these guys all the time. We'll be fine," Selena assured.

"If you insist… but I strongly recommend that you don't tease or try to play any mind games with him," Niko warned, directing the last part towards Tobias. The violet inkling looked like he wanted to retort, but rolled his eyes, mentally deciding that it wasn't worth it.

"We're wasting time. Let's go to the headquarters," he demanded impatiently. Everyone nodded in assent.

"Right!" Annabeth agreed. "Now, our Splaten Island location is in the middle-"

"-of the district, by the creek between the cemetery and the shopping mall," Tobias finished, deadpanned. Niko stared at him incredulously.

"You know where it is?" he inquired with surprise.

"If you know, then I know," Tobias replied with an irritated mein, as if it was common sense. Annabeth chuckled.

"Niko. Animus, remember? There's no keeping secrets from this guy," she explained with a laugh.

"Yes. It's terrible," Selena muttered. The group laughed, all but Tobias, who simply gave a smug smile to nobody in particular.

"Well shit," Niko said. He gave a slight glance of reverence at the inkarnate host. "You were right," he told him. "About not being ordinary," he added. Tobias nodded his head once.

"The creek is not far from here. Just a few stops on the Splaten Island Railway," Tobias announced.

"Perfect," Annabeth replied. "There's a station a block from the pub," she told them. She ushered them all to follow, as she walked towards the stairwell door.

"Oh, we're not taking the stairs," Selena said playfully. Niko and Annabeth turned to look at her. Tobias caught on.

"She's right. We would draw attention down there," he insisted. "We can jump," he suggested, as he and Selena walked towards the edge of the roof. The SAIL operatives exchanged questionable looks, but Annabeth shrugged, and joined the two at the edge of the roof.

"Well, we don't train for nothing," she said, directing her statement towards Niko. "Let's go."

Niko reluctantly joined Annabeth's side, not too thrilled at the idea of jumping off tall buildings. The four of them stood there for a moment. Taking in the nighttime air. Tobias glanced at his watch.

12:06AM

"Let's move," he directed.

Both him and Selena leaped from the roof, rapidly careening to the ground. Selena pulled out two burst bombs from her belt, one purple, one turquoise, and she hurled them down below them, and just before they both reached the ground, the each landed into their respective color in their squid forms. In mere seconds, they had rematerialized, and turned to look up at Niko and Annabeth.

"Impressive," Annabeth admitted, nodding her head in approval. "But not as impressive as this!" she shouted. She and Niko both pulled out Splattershots, only they were solid metal, and clicked a small dial on the back of the weapons. Tobias and Selena watched as the two of them leaped from the roof, their bodies oriented in a dive.

"MOVE!" Niko screamed, as he was right above Tobias. The boy leaped back, looking up at them with irritation.

"They're going to die…" Selena muttered under her breath.

"If only we were so lucky," Tobias replied.

"Now Niko!" Annabeth shouted. Both of them shot their respective ink colors on the pavement below, and they plummeted into the puddles as squids. Annabeth rose from her bluish white ink, shaking off the excess. Tobias and Selena glanced down at the hot pink puddle that Niko landed in, raising their eyebrows in anticipation.

"Yep. He died," Selena concluded. On cue, Niko rose from the puddle, seeming slightly shaken up, but wearing a smug grin on his face.

"Now THAT'S how to pull a stylish landing," he beamed. Tobias rolled his eyes, but Selena seemed to be genuinely impressed.

"Huh. Looks like Team Sailboats may actually have something to offer," she teased. Before either of the SAIL operatives could correct her, Tobias spoke:

"This way," he commanded impatiently.

He led the others through the alley, towards the street. They took the sidewalk away from The Slackin' Splaten Pub, towards the nearby railway stop. They walked up to the platform, where they were met with turnstiles. Annabeth and Niko promptly reached into their jacket pockets and pulled out their Battle ID cards – the cards with all of their Ink Battle information, that also served as a credit card, metro payment, and official form of identification. Niko's was metallic pink and Annabeth's was an azure-stained white. Annabeth noticed the two bandits were standing there, staring at them.

"Where are your Battle ID cards?" she asked. Selena gave her an amused gaze.

"We… don't have those," she admitted. Tobias nodded once in agreement.

"We're outlaws. Neither of us participate in turf wars. We buy everything in cash. Therefore, those are completely useless for us," he explained. Annabeth furrowed her brow, but then her expression softened.

"Well I suppose that makes sense. Here I'll-"

"-swipe for the both of us. Thanks," Tobias said, his voice flat. Annabeth blinked, still getting used to the jarring fact that Tobias knew what she had to say before she even said it. It rubbed her the wrong way. She silently swiped her card twice for the two bandits, and crossed to the platform.

"Perfect, here comes a train now," Niko told the others, pointing towards an oncoming train. It slowed to a stop, and the doors opened. The four of them filed inside, each of the inklings easily finding a seat, as not many citizens of Inkopolis traveled late in the night. An automated voice filled the train:

 _Stand clear of the closing doors, please!_

The doors promptly shut, and the train began to lurch forward. The four teens all exchanged wary glances, the tension between all of them still not completely resolved. Then Selena broke the silence:

"Look out, Commander Gamma. Here we come."


End file.
